Goblin Fruit
by Our Brightest Stars
Summary: She eyed the Elrics grimly, knowing what they were really after, and that they wouldn't get it, only lose everything for a mere facsimile of what they thought they wanted. That Truth, his fruits like honey to the throat but poison in the blood, would grin and the Gate would open like a chasm's deep yawn to swallow them whole. That his fruits weren't worth the steep price. [SI. AU.]
1. Speck

Have you ever felt like a mere speck before?

Like there's too much space in the world for you, or not enough you for all that space? Like you might just disappear, unnoticed, in the vast universe that's ever expanding? The distance so great and its depth immeasurable, that it makes you feel so minuscule and insignificant, a speck.

Slipping through the cracks with none the wiser, like sand slipping in between your fingers.

But if people are specks, and they are, they would specks of stardust, as that is what all creatures great and small are ultimately made of: leftover stardust. An atom exploded, and all the dust became all the planets and the stars and... us. That's all anything amounted to.

That's all Ingrid amounted to.

 _(ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We are all nothing but dust and to dust we shall return)_

Hamlet was quite right when he postulated that the ashes of Alexander the Great might indeed be the dust that mixed in the groundwater, that fed the tree, that became the cork, that plugged up a hole in a beer keg somewhere out there. That, in the end, when you're dead, we're all equal. Equal in the fact that when our life leaves us and our body decays, we are all reduced to nothing. Our soul that had animated it, moved on and left it behind.

So, Ingrid had become dust in her old life. The speck of a speck. Stardust.

She had become the exploding atom, and life spawned anew, the cycle repeated.

 _(one is one is one is one equals all, all being the one which is all there is)_

So, when influenza had swept through the country, thousands falling to its lethal clutching grasps. where so many fell ill, some dying and some not. Where all were miserable and afraid, their lives balancing on a knife's edge and if they drop their guard for one instant, it's all over. Where suffering and grief were common, whether by war or by sickness or by death; although, that isn't to say that they're mutually exclusive.

Where women who are pregnant and fall ill with flu in the year 1904 often find that they have complications; premature birth, miscarriage, preeclampsia, and health defects in child being numbered among them. Where the loss of the child was not unexpected, especially considering the mother's own life was already on the line. Where difficult birth while already weak from disease made childbirth potentially deadly...

Ingrid found her place, and returned as a speck of a speck... And she grew. Unexpected, but loved all the same.

* * *

 **A/N: So... Another fan fic;;; I can't seem to keep my attention on one thing;;;**

 **I was trying to write the next chapter for Snowhite or start tackling chapter 7 for Lotus & Clover, bit this spawned instead;;; **

**It's actually a mixture of those aforementioned fics in tone, actually. Adorable family drama and slight-horror mixed with sleepy surrealism, lol It's gonna be a bit tragic in some parts too, actually. We'll see where I go with this.**

 **I've been extremely inspired by colbub's FMA brotherhood fic "There was White". I've loved the pacing and tone, and especially adored the fact that the OC-insert wasn't the cliché huge mega-fan who knew everything and treated it all like a joyride... Sometimes there are difficult and sad discussions between characters, sometimes the situation is hard and awkward to write (I know, I've been there), and colbub doesn't flinch from it, and instead takes it as a challenge to tred into new territory and even worldbuild. Thanks for the fantastic read, bruh, I super enjoyed it.**


	2. Flood

Huddled under her father's raincoat as she clutched to his shirt tightly, Ingrid balefully glared out from underneath into the pouring rain. Honestly, the three of them finally go out to spend time together as a family unit after the doctor tentatively pronounced her mother fit for travel... Then it storms the worst it's ever stormed in over six decades.

With an irritable huff, she snuggled closer to her dad's shoulder, trying to keep warm. It was probably for the best that she was being carried by the veritable bear-of-a-man, since if she tried walking around on her chubby three-almost-four-year-old wobbly legs, she'd probably be blown over by the torrential down pour and wind, or even swept away by rushing ankle-deep water.

Ingrid supposed that she wasn't in the best place to complain so much, considering this town was the home to many people, and they would have to suffer from the consequences of this storm for probably months after the fact. A little inconvenience from a redirected train and some time in the cold rain from the train platform meant little in the face of it all. Especially considering that river that sprung from Pefesy in the upper Northern Area, down through Central, and snaking it's way along the lower left border of the Eastern Area. The train tracks had followed along that river a fair distance away... Despite that distance, it hadn't been hard to see how badly it spilled well past the banks' borders.

There was going to be some major flooding, and Ingrid predicted that there would be a massive shortage of wheat, barley, corn, and sugar beets; not to mention a lot of the more common fruits such as apples, pears, cherries, oranges, and peaches... In a few months, the prices of bread, sugar, and most produce would skyrocket. Actually, so would meat prices, since the fodder generally used for livestock (besides the usual grass and then hay for winter) were a mixture of corn and grains. And then wool, because herds of sheep out in pastures might get caught in the flood of fast-moving water and drown if the shepherds don't get to them fast enough. Then, of course, the storm and all its water will continue move to the Southern area, and there it will devastate potato, cabbage, rye, and oat crops...

Ingrid shifted, uncomfortable at the realization how the next year or two might be thrown off-kilter, depending on how severe the damage this particular storm caused.

A large hand patted her back comfortingly before adjusting the large raincoat so it covered the both of them more efficiently. A husky voice drifted through the sound of pouring rain as her mother reassured her, "We're almost there, _Uschi_ , just a little longer."

Ingrid nodded slightly, although there wasn't much of a point, considering she was sequestered quite thoroughly from sight and Izumi hadn't really been expecting a response anyway. In a lot of ways, the woman-turn-child was similar her new father in this life, extremely reticent for one. And there was her neutral expression was a rather unfortunate case of resting bitch face for another. With that near permanent scowl and impressively-sharp glaring eyes of hers it was like her face was constantly pinched in an angry expression, despite not really emoting anything in the first place.

And it made it a lot harder to convey any positive emotion without looking like some sort of axe-murder... It was always a little odd-looking with her furrowed brows and those narrowed dark-grey eyes glowering at everything she looked at. Actually, sometimes it was scarier seeing herself smile like that than just giving a blank look. Not even she was immune to her own somewhat intimidating face; Ingrid tended to avoid looking at the mirror for very long if she could help it.

 _(she was far more thankful than she would ever admit for her parents accepting and loving her despite this, neither of them ever flinching away from her hard gaze; she adored them so very much)_

Faintly, she could hear what sounded like shouting through the rain, a barking of orders... Ingrid felt more than saw her father pause before changing directions. She didn't need to peek outside the coat to know that her mom was leading the way. It was an endearing trait of her new parents: how Izumi would unerringly be the one to go help when others needed it, and how Sig would be the silent support, not smothering or hovering, but there if his wife ever slipped. Together, they were unbeatable. Capable. And Ingrid didn't mind at all being dependent if they were the ones she leaned on when weak, and she knew without a doubt that someday she would do the same for them, if she ever ended up in such a position.

For now, though, she merely watched as her mother strode confidently forward past the group of onlookers and the beginning-to-retreat farmhands who had been futilely sandbagging the bank. The townspeople who could only watch helplessly as the waters pushed past the barrier and were breaking through to ruin everything and threaten to wash them all away, scared and resigned. "The levee's going to break, we're not going to make it!"

"Everyone get to high ground with the rest!"

"Dammit all!"

Her mother passed by them all, her stride not faltering once, eyes set on the very barrier they were giving up as a lost cause.

"H-Hey, you there, it's dangerous!"

"Get back, Lady, don't be suicidal!" Another barked, moving forward and reaching out to grab a shoulder only for Sig to step in the way, gazing down challengingly. "Er... uh... woah there..."

Izumi remained, even as knee deep waves roared against her, spilling forth from the damaged dirt wall. With a growl and a clap of the hands, she slammed her arms down and plunged them through the water. An earth-shattering tremble carried over the roaring of water, waves of water suddenly shooting up towards the wall as enormous slabs of earth rose from the soggy ground. Huge monoliths carved of stone formed and condensed from the surrounding land erected themselves far above the sandbags, a tight and stiff barrier that would not erode away in the storm anytime soon. The walls stretched far down the bank on both sides for mile in either direction.

Pulling out the umbrella he had been carrying in front of him and opening it, Sig stood next to her mother and covered her from the rain to keep his wife from getting anymore soaked. Nodding in a satisfied manner the alchemist turned to face the stunned crowd, smiling in an over-cheerful manner with her hand on her hips "There! That should hold for a while, but I would still reinforce that wall if I were you. I made the ground sink, so it doesn't have as much support as it needs to remain there for the long-term."

The workers stared at her in silence, not knowing quite what to make of the display or their savior's nonchalant attitude. Finally one of them, stammered out, "Wh-Who are you?"

As per usual, her mom deflected the question instinctively, "As you can see, a normal housewife with her family!"

She vomited blood.

* * *

 **Uschi - a pet name that's German in origin, essentially means "little she-bear".**


	3. Discipleship

The townspeople brought the three of them to the only inn in town where the sole doctor did an examination free of charge. At his insistence, only a handful of visitors could come into the room at a time and were to vacate and fetch him immediate if she spewed out anymore blood. Ingrid, having ignored any of the doctor's protests, snuggled with her mother in bed. The whole family unit had glared at him in unison when he persisted in saying that she couldn't do so; their eyes daring him to continue. Sweating heavily, the physician excused himself with a cough, muttering something about needing to head back to his clinic, and the vaguely menacing aura the trio had been emanating seemed to disappear as if it had never been there in the first place.

The curious and tremendously grateful townspeople of Resembool tactfully ignored the occurrence and acted as if nothing happened, slowly streaming into the room. Most certainly filling up past the capacity that the doctor had, had in mind. However, it was entirely evident that there were plenty more outside of the room wanting their turn to either thank or ogle at the alchemist who had saved their town. The ones who had entered first were men, and a couple women, who made up the authority figures of Resembool: sheep farmers, business owners, and a man who wasn't a mayor in name but acted as one in both his responsibility and duty to the town. The man had actually been the one who had been leading the sandbagging efforts earlier. Pseudo-Mayor, who's name Ingrid had failed to catch when he introduced himself, formally thanked the Curtis's on behalf of Resembool (as confirmed further with the cheers and claps of nearby townspeople) and mostly led the discussion to learn more about the small family unit.

During this, more people trickled into the room curiously, whispering and shushing each other excitedly, voices a quiet murmur that faded into the general chatter of the room's original visiting occupants. Nosey children slipped through the legs of the adults, most gawking in an awed and intimidated manner at the towering form of Sig first before even glancing at the mundane-by-comparision Izumi. The only part visible of Ingrid on the other side of her mother was the top half of her head, little glaring black eyes seemed to bore holes into whomever glanced in her direction.

"Incredible alchemy, seems even more like magic than I first thought."

"You must be a national alchemist with such skill like that!"

"So this is what a master alchemist can do..."

Izumi waved her hand dismissively before correcting, "Actually, I really just am a butcher's wife. My husband and I own a shop back home in Dublith like I mentioned before. I had been sick for the last year... Ah, I had just recently gotten cleared for travel and it was by chance the train had been redirected over here."

"Now we're in your debt, haha!"

"Wow, all the way from Dublith."

"Yeah, it's a nice change to see how green it is over here."

Some of the children seemed to gather up the courage, a blonde pair of the rushing forward boldly, declaring, "Old lady! Please take us as your disciples!"

Ingrid choked on her own spit and promptly fled from out under the covers to hide behind her father's legs as Izumi cooed in a dangerously sweet tone, "What was that? This _old lady_ isn't sure she heard you right the first time." Ingrid wasn't all that surprised when her mother flipped the bed when the two kids with a death wish guilelessly repeated themselves, somehow not noticing the deadly and vaguely threatening undertones. "Still didn't catch that. _Want to try again?_ "

Crawling out from under the haphazardly thrown bed, the two remained in a kneeling position, trembling rightfully from the display of wrath. Stammering, the one with the lighter hair tried again, "A-Auntie, miss, please, take us as your pupils!"

The other boy added, "We already know a little bit of alchemy, can even do some transmutation ourselves!"

"Right, and we want to learn more, so please...!"

"...No way," the older woman flat out denied, turning away from the two of them, hands on her hips. Ingrid couldn't count the number of times the other neighborhood kids back in Dublith had begged the same thing. Had parents come over and buy their meat, only to try to sell their children's hardworking and attentive attitudes to Mrs. Curtis, only to be turned away with a cheerful 'please come again'. No matter how much they pestered, her mother would not accept them as her students, and that was that.

"Wh-What?"

"Why not?!"

Izumi sighed, shifting onto her other foot, "I don't teach alchemy, period. In any case, we have a store to run back in Dublith, so I can't stay here to teach you and —"

Lunging forward desperately, the pair who had to be brothers latched onto the alchemist, one grabbing her arm and the other her leg. Both were refusing to let go. Sheer determination being the only thing that kept attached as Izumi tried to shake them off amidst their pleas and begging. "Let go, you pests!"

"P-le-eas, t-ak-ke us as disc-ip-l-les!" They cried, eyes squeezed shut and voices shaking from the force of being whipped and waved around, teeth clacking and tongues probably being accidentally bitten. "Pl-eeee-eeease!" The last bit coming out more of a shriek than anything else. Ingrid had to given them credit, they were seriously committed.

"God," Izumi snarled, finally desisting in trying to fling them off. "So damn persistent. Okay, say if I did take you on, what would you do with what I taught you?"

"W-We'd..." Leg-boy started before faltering, looking to the other for guidance.

"We'd try to help others! Make their life better!" Arm-boy continued fiercely.

"...Right," Izumi finally said, voice dripping with skepticism. "And just what do your parents have to say about you dropping school and everything else to head to Dublith with an absolute stranger for unknown amount of time, maybe to never see them again?" Neither boy could look her in the eye, their grip loosing as they looked down at the ground, expressions pained. Shaking free, she stepped away to cross her arms and look down on them severely and completely expecting them to give up at last. "Well?"

There was a long and uncomfortable pause, no one saying anything or even daring to breathe... A reaction that Ingrid never experienced after previous attempts, why were the other adults acting so solemn? Not teasing the boys for a reckless attempt in getting a teacher for a flashy skill in using magical science? A mother steeping forward to both scold her child(ren) and apologize? None of this felt right.

"Actually, ma'am, the boy's..." Pseudo-Mayor attempted to start before faltering awkwardly, his expression stricken.

"I'm their guardian now, Miss Curtis," an old lady who was easily into her late sixties, maybe even her seventies, broken in gravely. "They're orphans, and have been staying with me after their mother passed."

"O-Oh," Izumi breathed, looking more like she had been stabbed instead of punched with the news, pained and distraught. Ingrid looked away herself, hands gripping her father's pants tightly, knowing just what her mother wass reminded of. What her whole family had been reminded of. A giant hand rested on top of head, neither Ingrid or her father saying anything when Izumi glanced back at the two of them, looking as lost as any of them felt. Muttering to herself, "I just don't know how to handle this", before looking back at the two boys and measuring their worth, the twin pleading and determined expressions...and finally gave in. Crouching down to their level and placing a gentle hand on each shoulder, she sternly told them, "One month. I will give you two a trial of one month, as long as you approve of this, ma'am. A period of provisional training to ascertain their level of skill and if it would be truly worth dedicating my time and energy to accept them as my pupils."

The elderly woman, possibly their grandmother, gazed back shrewdly, expression hard. Her tone was firm and gave away nothing as she asked, "And if you find them lacking...?"

"I will immediately send them back here."

The Leg-boy piped up, question hesitant, almost disbelieving, "And if... if we pass the trial run?"

Izumi faced the two of them again, eyes scanning their faces before giving a crooked half-smile, already starting to warm up to the two of them, "Then I accept the two of you under my instruction and care as my students until either your expulsion or graduation as full-fledged alchemists."

Like a chemical reaction, the look on their faces slowly morphed and changed, smiles expanding, eyes glittering brightly, cheeks heating up in excitment, and just generally looking like they were about to explode.

"Granny!" Arm-boy shouted. "We won't be back in a month!"

Their grandmother sighed, "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."


End file.
